A global pandemic has a way of grinding things to a halt. Like you, we’re staying home, “social distancing” and doing our part to “flatten the curve.”

We could all use a little good news these days, right? Well buckle up!

An interesting thing happened on the road to a global pandemic. Normal, everyday, regular people across Michigan – and the United States – stopped what they were doing, sacrificed their own paychecks and livelihoods and schedules, and made a lot of tough choices to protect their friends and neighbors.

It was only a few weeks ago that Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered a State of the State speech telling lawmakers (and viewers at home) that ‘I don’t need you.’ She spent her primetime address telling the legislature she’d avoid the hard work of leadership in 2020, ignore consensus building, and simply act by executive order.

So, it felt more than a little ironic barely days later when she sent her budget director to a panel of those same lawmakers to make the case for preferred budget – and to ask them to fund her priorities.

The Michigan Freedom Fund would like to offer a sincere thank you to Speaker Lee Chatfield, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and legislative leadership for listening to the concerns of taxpayers and stopping House Bill 5229. This is a great development for taxpayers throughout the state. 

As we have repeatedly stated, we strongly oppose any efforts that make it easier for government to raise taxes on its residents and the dangerous expansion of the Municipal Partnership Act found in HB 5229 would have done just that. The language that strikes the applicability of the constitutional and statutory tax caps to each participating unit of government was particularly egregious and we appreciate the efforts by grassroots activists and lawmakers who took the time to express those concerns.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has some explaining to do. And a decision to make.

Turns out Michigan’s public school teachers are big fans of personal freedom, and they’re pretty good at exercising their constitutional rights, too.

We’re working hard to hold Governor Whitmer accountable for her broken promises, and it’s getting lots of attention.